Lucky Farmer Girl: I rely on metaphysics to support my family

After dinner, Tang Wan and her sister Tang Jing returned to their respective courtyards.

After washing up, Tang Wan originally planned to look at the miscellaneous book she had bought today, but after thinking about it, she decided against it.

She had more important things to do, so she talked to Zhuxi about the shop for a few minutes, then excused herself to rest and took Er Ya into the space.

Upon entering the space, Tang Wan went to the study on the second floor of the villa. She wanted to draw some more peace talismans. Even though she had given so many to the War King, she was still afraid it wouldn't be enough. Especially after what happened at the Prince's Mansion today, she felt that the more talismans the better.

In short, it's always good to draw more than you need to.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the study of the War King's mansion was more somber than usual.

Zhan Yidan knocked on the door, then bowed and said, "Your Highness, the men sent to the southwest to investigate the Feng family's background have returned. They lost three brothers on this trip."

The War King's fingers paused slightly, his eyes grew even colder, and he said, "Speak!"

Zhan Yi recounted the entire message he had brought back.

It turns out that in the southwest, the former secret guards spent a lot of time finally getting the mouth of a retired old servant in the Feng family's old house, and then followed that lead to find out more.

The connection between the Feng family and Nanmo was much deeper than expected. It didn't just begin with Feng Yongnian's generation; his father's generation had already established connections with Nanmo.

At this point, Zhan Yi explained briefly: "That High Priest of the Southern Desert was proficient in witchcraft and sorcery. The head of the Feng family back then was personally won over by that High Priest. The High Priest valued the bloodline and methods of the Feng family's Black Witch Clan, while the Feng family needed the protection and financial resources of the Southern Desert. The two sides hit it off immediately, and the Feng family has been at the High Priest's beck and call ever since."

The War King didn't interrupt, waiting for him to continue.

Zhan paused for a moment, then continued, "When the High Priest was alive, he only had the Feng family secretly collect intelligence and pass on messages for the Southern Desert. But after that High Priest died, the new High Priest who succeeded him was determined to avenge his master."

Zhan Yi paused here, looked up at Zhan Wang's expression, and seeing that he looked normal, he continued: "After Your Highness visited the Southern Desert border last time, the High Priest wanted to set up an altar to harm you, but you blew up his base. After that, the High Priest was almost on his last breath and did not survive. The new High Priest saw all of this and wanted to take revenge after his master died, so he made the Feng family make a big fuss."

The War King coldly said, "The wolf in the Southern Desert harbors ambitions. He originally cooperated with the evil sorcerer to destroy the pillars of our dynasty and paralyze the country. However, we saw through his scheme. Later, when the border was in turmoil, I went there, and he tried to harm me with evil magic. But he didn't expect me to defeat him first. This was just a matter of each relying on their own abilities. It was a matter of life and death. What is there to talk about revenge? It's just that his wolfish ambitions haven't stopped, and he continues to provoke us."

The War King paused for a moment, then spoke again: "So, the Feng family listens to the High Priest?"

"Yes," Zhan Yi said. "The Feng family originally belonged to the High Priest and only obeyed his orders. Now that the new High Priest wants revenge, the Feng family naturally has to take action. Therefore, the Wu family's curses, the clan's plots, and the spies sent by various mansions are all controlled behind the scenes by the High Priest, with the Feng family carrying them out in front."

The War King's expression darkened.

Zhan Yi then took out an oiled paper package from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "Your Highness, this was found by the secret guards at the Feng family's old residence. It contains fragments of letters exchanged between the Feng family and the High Priest back then. Although incomplete, the handwriting and seals match. There is also a copy of the Feng family's account books, which clearly record the amount of money the Feng family received from the Southern Desert over the years and its uses, including raising sorcerers, purchasing forbidden drugs, and planting spies. Every single transaction is documented."

The War King took the oil paper package but did not open it; he simply held it in his hand, feeling its weight.

He knew the weight of this evidence; although it wasn't much, it was enough to seal the Feng family's fate. Now they could take action.

He glanced at Zhan Yi and asked in a deep voice, "What is the specific situation regarding casualties among the brothers?"

“Three were killed and five were injured.” Zhan Yi’s voice lowered. “The Feng family’s old house looks unremarkable, but it secretly houses many experts. When the brothers sneaked in, they were ambushed and had to fight to the death to bring the items out.”

The War King was silent for a moment, then said, "The compensation for the dead and wounded will be doubled. The injured should be properly treated by the doctors in the manor, so that they don't suffer any lasting health problems."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Yi quickly replied, "Yes."

The War King tapped his fingers lightly on the table, glanced at Zhan Yi sitting below him, and asked, "What's been happening at Qixia Manor lately?"

Zhan Yi respectfully reported, "Your Highness, as you instructed, they have been sending people to keep a close watch on Qixia Manor day and night using the concealment talisman drawn by Miss Tang, for fear that they might suddenly start some kind of evil ritual. The news that has come in the past few days is that the activities in the forbidden area behind the manor are becoming more and more frequent. At night, we can often see firelight and hear the sound of chanting."

The War King frowned slightly: "Is the ceremony about to begin?"

“It looks like it’s almost time,” Zhan Yi said. “But strangely, it hasn’t really started yet. The exact reason is still unclear.”

After a moment of contemplation, the War King asked, "What about Feng Yongnian? Has he been to Qixia Manor recently?"

Zhan Yidao said, "Feng Yongnian has been on duty during the day as usual these past few days. Occasionally, he will leave the city in the evening to stay at Qixia Manor for an hour or two, and then return to the city at night. Our men have followed him a few times. After entering the manor, he mostly goes to the forbidden area in the back mountain. When he comes out, his face is gloomy, and he never talks much to the people in the manor. All told, he has gone there four times in the past half month, and each time he has stayed for no more than two hours."

The War King nodded slightly. Feng Yongnian's behavior was normal. He dared not openly skip work to go to Qixia Village, so he could only secretly go to Qixia Village to supervise the progress during his rest days or after his shift.

This indicates that the ceremony is not yet complete, and he still needs to oversee it personally.

The War King then asked, "Is there anything unusual about the boy?"

Zhan Yi shook his head and said, "There's nothing there. It's still the same as before. Every day, the mute servant brings meals and medicine at regular times."

Upon hearing this, the War King stopped tapping his fingers and said calmly, "Continue to keep an eye on Qixia Manor. In particular, we cannot let our guard down for a moment in the forbidden area behind the mountain. If we find any signs that the ritual is about to begin, we will act immediately without waiting for orders. It is better to close the net early and alert the enemy than to let them perform their evil magic."

Zhan Yi hurriedly agreed.

Then the War King added, "If you don't have enough concealment talismans, you can order some more from Miss Tang. Just don't let the lack of concealment talismans expose you."

Upon hearing his master's words, Zhan dared to speak up, "Then please ask Miss Tang to make some more concealment talismans. Although it seems sufficient for now, it's better to prepare more just in case."

This way, everyone can carry extra, so if someone suddenly has an accident or loses theirs, their companions can share some without affecting themselves. (End of Chapter)